


A Holly Jolly Christmas

by starspangledsprocket



Series: Me, You and Peter, Too [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Kid Fic, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Superfamily (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:28:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5518706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starspangledsprocket/pseuds/starspangledsprocket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Peter's first Christmas Eve since Steve and Tony adopted him, and he really doesn't want to go to bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Holly Jolly Christmas

“Don’t you think it’s way past your bedtime, young man?” Steve asked, surprised, as he walked back into the lounge after his evening shower.

Little Peter, pacifier stuck firmly in his mouth and Iron Man toy clutched to his chest, peeked sheepishly over the back of the couch. Beside him, Tony did the same.

“He said he wasn’t tired,” Tony reasoned, “and, to be fair, it _is_ Christmas Eve, Steven, and you need to get your butt into the Christmas spirit.”

“Butt in duh spirit,” Peter repeated around his pacifier, tiredly reaching up to play with his own hair. “Pwees.”

Steve sighed and rolled his eyes. Though Peter would probably be a sleepy nightmare tomorrow, Tony was right; it _was_ Christmas Eve. On top of that, it was Peter’s first Christmas with them full stop, and Steve really wanted to make it special for him. If that meant the little guy got to stay up a little past his bedtime to finish watching the end of… Elf, Steve realised they were watching, then so be it.

“Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can allow it just this once,” Steve hummed, and then smiled when Peter grinned and turned back to his movie. “Have you had your supper?”

“That’s Daddy’s bad,” Tony told him while Peter shook his little head. “But, to be fair, this movie drags you in.”

Rolling his eyes fondly again, Steve leaned over the back of the couch to kiss first Peter and then Tony on the top of their heads, and then headed into the kitchen to get Peter a little snack and his evening milk.

“Can I get a gingerbread cookie, honey?” Tony called through to him as he was busy pouring Peter’s milk into a sippy cup.

“Mine!” Peter called a few moments later, and Steve just huffed out a fond laugh and grabbed two from the box on the counter.

Putting both cookies onto one of Peter’s Dora the Explorer plates, figuring they could share it, Steve then grabbed the plate in one hand and Peter’s milk in the other, and headed back out into the lounge.

They had decorated for Christmas about a week earlier. Peter had been ecstatic about being able to help put the ornaments on the tree, bouncing around excitedly on his chubby little toddler legs. Even Tony, whom Steve had always kinda assumed would be a bah humbug, had been humming along to the Christmas playlist JARVIS had made for them, wearing a Santa hat with pride the whole time.

Now, the night before Christmas, everything looked perfect. The lights on the tree sparkled, light bouncing off the shiny tinsel they’d hung all around the room, and there were already a few presents scattered around from the other Avengers, family, and friends. Steve and Tony had a full sack of presents for each other and Peter to add once the little boy had gone to bed, but they were safely tucked away in the back of their wardrobe for now, and Steve doubted Peter would last much longer before he fell asleep.

How wrong Steve had been.

After Peter had finished his milk and gingerbread man, he did start to list against Steve’s side, obviously exhausted, but when Steve suggested he take him to bed for a bedtime story and sleep, Peter stubbornly shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and refocused on the end of his movie.

“Okay, you can watch the end of your movie, and then it’s bedtime, baby,” Steve compromised, running a gentle hand through Peter’s unruly hair.

That didn’t work out, either.

Because towards the end of the movie, as Buddy was helping Santa fix his sleigh, little Petey got his second wind. Steve had actually thought he was asleep, but then he suddenly sat up and silently toddled over to the floor-to-ceiling windows across the room, taking his Iron Man figure with him, and sat down.

“Whatcha doing, squirt?” Tony asked, rubbing a hand over his own tired eyes. It was almost 11pm – even they were getting tired.

“Makin’ sure Santa sees,” Peter replied around his pacifier, planting a tiny hand against the glass.

They’d had a nightmare a few days ago when Peter had realised they didn’t actually have a chimney for Santa to come down. Tony, wonderful genius that he was, had explained to Peter that the giant H painted on the patio outside was not for helicopters, but actually stood for _Ho Ho Ho_ , and was a signal to Santa that meant he could land there with his sleigh. Peter… hadn’t been completely convinced, but hadn’t said anything else about it, so Steve had assumed he’d accepted Tony’s story.

But apparently not.

“Peter, honey, I promise he’ll come,” Steve reassured gently. “And the sooner you go to bed, the sooner tomorrow will arrive!”

“No, Papa,” Peter replied simply. “Wanna… wanna give duh waindeers duh cawwots.”

“No, Pete, see, that’s not how Santa works,” Tony shook his head. “He won’t come if you’re still awake!”

“Nooooo,” Peter whined, bottom lip starting to wobble. “Noooo, Dada.”

“I don’t make the rules, kiddo,” Tony replied, though he looked a little distraught as big, fat crocodile tears started to well in Peter’s eyes. “Come on, baby –“

“Santa gotta come!” Peter hiccupped, staggering to his feet to go toddling back over to Steve, where he planted his head firmly against his legs.

“Then you have to go to bed, buddy,” Steve replied, petting the top of the little boy’s head. “Come on, you gonna come have a story?”

Peter sniffled some more, bottom lip sticking right out around his pacifier as he raised his little head, but ultimately nodded his head and raised his arms for Steve to pick him up. Never passing up a chance to carry his boy, Steve scooped him up and cradled him to his chest.

“Hey, why don’t we, as a special treat, let him sleep with us tonight?” Tony suggested, and Steve rolled his eyes; Tony loved snuggling a sleeping Peter.

“Well, since it’s Christmas,” Steve replied with a nod, “I think we can manage that.”

Peter snuffled against Steve’s shoulder and then gave them a watery smile; Peter liked sleeping in their bed just as much as Tony liked having him in there with them. If they both had their way, Peter would still be sleeping in their bed when he made it to adulthood.

“Come on, then, baby boy,” Steve hummed, kissing Peter’s rosy cheek. “Daddy, do you want to _clear our wardrobe out_ while I help Peter with potty and teeth time?”

Tony, catching on to his meaning, nodded his head and got to his feet. “Sure, and then I’ll come help with story time.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Steve nodded, and then grinned when Tony pulled them both in for a kiss.

“Merry Christmas, my favourite boys,” Tony hummed, and Steve couldn’t help but smile.

“Merry Christmas,” he replied.


End file.
